Winning Young Riders is pretty much interesting enough for me.  But throw in the fact that Kelly Loria has never even been to a Young Rider’s Championships, or left California to compete before, and is fairly new to eventing-and things sort of heat up.  This Junior in High School shares her reflections on her blue-ribbon experience, who she looks up to, and a wish for greater inter-discipline camaraderie.  Not to mention giving back to the world around her.  Read on!

photo by Emily Daily at USEA

Q. What did your path to a Gold Medal at the North American Young Rider Championship’s look like?

A. This was actually my first time riding in the Young Rider Championships. I’ve had a lot of friends who have gone through the process and told me even if you don’t finish well it’s such a learning experieice and you walk away with so much.  I agree, it’s a great environoment for aspiring eventers.  It’s intense but so supportive. There’s pressure but also a lot of people helping out.

Q.  In what way were they helping?

A. In every way possible. With advice, helping tack up your horse if you’re worried about time.  I got to hang out with my teammates before champioships and it was really nice that we got to bond.

Q. Was NAYRC everything you had hoped for?

A.  It was pretty similar to what I imagined. I went into it with an open mind and just wanted to finish.  It was the first time me and my horse were even out of state.  We’re new to the eventing world so I thought we would take it slow and find our footing.

All the green grass was so beautful. In California it’s a little brown!  I like the town itself and it’s so involved with horses. I was impressed with the environment.  The stalls and stabling were smaller than I expected but everything is getting redone.  With the World Equestrian Games coming up it was exciting to be on same ground with world’s best.

Q.  Did anything surprise you about being at Young Riders or was there anything unexpected?

A.  I was surpirsed about how spread out it was. I wished I could have seen other disciplines.  I didn’t even see an endurance rider.  And they went on a 65 mile course! I thought we’d pass by at some point.  I didn’t get to watch the reiners and that would have been nice.  It would have been nice to have a stress on supporting all disciplines. It was nice being stabled next to show jumping and dresage and see how they care for their horses is not that different.  But I would have liked to see different riding styles.

Q. What was the cross-country course like?

It was huge compared to what I get to ride on.  And definitely the longest.  There weren’t as many technical fences, only a couple tricky, and just really long with nice gallop stretches. Riding on grass was definitely different for me and my mare.  It was nice not to stay on a path; it was nice to feel like you could ride wherever. We were galloping through fields by Rolex jumps thinking: One day maybe!

photo by Emily Daily at USEA

Q. What was your favorite part of Young Riders Championships?

A.  I always love cross country, that’s always my favorite part.  Riding out on a really nice course.  Not everyone gets to say they got to ride on the same turf as the World Equestrian Games and that was exhilirating. People could not stop talking about the WEG’s and that made you more exicited to go ride.

Q. Are there any other young riders you admire?

A.  I admire my own teammate Kelly Pugh.  She kept such a positive attitude.  She’s a good role model.  She was in the two-star and has way more experiene than I do.  It was nice to have someone help me out and walk through it with me.  All my teammates were totally supportive; I was a deer in the headlights!  They were all ridiculously helpful.

Q. Tell me about the relationship you have with your horse, Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.

A.  She’s the greatest horse I’ve ever gotten to work with and I’m extremely lucky to have her. She came to us off the track and was a super green eight year old and had been in a pasture.  She was hot and volatile and it took us a while to get her to calm down.  Now she’s like a rescue dog just looking forward to pleasing.  She’s talented and athletic. Everything we’ve asked her she’s met and is the most willing mare I’ve ever worked with. She has so much heart; I’m totally in love with her.  That’s probably why I only have one horse: I don’t want to throw her over the edge with jealousy!  I’m happy to be working with Lu Lu, she’s great.  She’s ridiculously brave and goes at everything with her best foot forward. She moved up to preliminary last fall at our last show and she was great.  I evented up to Training before her.  I had a Quarter Horse mare that went lame. And then she came along. She’s the underdog of the barn and we all love her.

Q. What do you think of the Young Rider program?

A.  It gives you a goal and something to aim for so helps you develop skills. It’s a faster track to improvement because it gives you something to work towards.

Q. So what about school?

A.  I’m a Junior in High School.  I’ve missed a lot [of school] for horses but do my best.  Going with my horse to college will be very difficult. Hope she stays sound and we can continue our eventing career.  We’ll wait and see. She’s so new we’re trying to take it as safely as we can; we don’t want her to get injured or shell shocked.  I don’t want to move up until we’re ready, I don’t want to ruin our good relationship. School is a wild card.  I need to meet with college counselors.  I’m not sure where my  focus will be; I would love to get her in an environment where school would work out.  I want her to have what’s best for her. There’s still planning ahead of us.

Q. Where do you hope your career will go from here?

A.  I’ll take it a day at a time.  Every time I go to an event I want it more and more.  I love the atmosphere. I would love the career. Then I sit and think: What’s best for my family?   My family has been supportive but it’s not always my decision.  There’s a balance, I can’t just go out and jump in with both feet.  More goes into that consideration with a career choice.  I don’t have to rush into a decision.  There are other things in life other than horseback riding.  I’m not worried about it not working out. If it’s meant to work out it will.

Q. What other things do you love?

A.  I enjoy traveling a lot and am interested in humanitarian work. I’ve had such a nice life. It’s the responsibility of people who are able to give back, to give back.  That’s a goal down the road to travel with the Peace Corps.  I have lived a nice life in nice suburb and went to a nice school and I have a HORSE.  That’s stuff most people only dream about.  I’d like to give  back.

Q. Anything you want to add?

A.  I’d like to give thanks to hometown trainer, Heidi Riddle at Half Halt Farm.  She gave me my start and the chance to get my feet wet.  She talked my mom into it and if not for her we wouldn’t be talking right now!

We have more sunshine and blue skies from California with Kelly Pugh who recently won the North American Young Rider Championships 3-star.  What’s with those Area VI riders?  I certainly wanted to know, and figured you might as well.  That’s why I caught Kelly for a conversation about her win, the powerful bond to her mare, Chloe, and some words of wisdom that have served her well and might do you.

Kelly Pugh and Chloe on their victory lap. Photo courtesy of Kelly Pugh

Q.  Let’s start at the beginning.  Tell me about the North American Young Rider Championships.

A. It was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had.  I went for the first time in 2005 on the one-star team for Area VI.  I went wanting to be competitive but wanting to come back with a good experience. This time around I went and the people, the team, and support system were fantastic. Being there before the World Equestrian Games there was all the buzz and we were staying in same place that the WEG riders will be staying was amazing.  And to be sitting on the horse I’m sitting on; I feel lucky.  It was a long process for us from California. Just geting our horses there was as huge deal. We had drive, fly, and fundraising. There were so many more factors involved.

It was so important to have the team we had with the helpers and grooms and parents. They made it such agreat experience.  It was amazing coming back with the medals but just being part of the whole experience made it prety special.

Q. What made the support so great?

A. All of riders got along so well. Some riders didn’t have as good a show as others but we never stopped supporting each other.  We only had one groom which we thought was tough but we helped each other.  We had to be up at 4am to come and help; parents cooked meals every day.  We’d forget to even eat when we were so busy but we had home-cooked meals every day.  The parents were the first to run to Walmart and grab whatever we needed.  It’s hard to talk about my coach since it’s  my mother but she made it fun and less stressful and a team atmosphere.  We were all here for each other.  That made it a fun experience too.  Our Chef d’Equipe was amazing.  We never stopped helping each other.

photo courtesy of Kelly Pugh

Q. Why are you so lucky to have your horse Chloe?

A.  She’s one of the most amazing horses I’ve ever had the privilege to sit on.  [It's the] bond we have.  She has a heart of gold and loves her job and there’s nothing on cross country I worry about. That’s a good feeling. Mom says she doesn’t worry because she knows Chloe will jump out of any trouble. She just doesn’t stop.

Q.  How did she come into your life?

A.  A good friend of mine,  Jennie Brannigan, called me two years ago when I was going off to school and had one horse, Annie Oakly.  Jennie called and said, “I found this amazing horse I think you guys should give it a try”.  We bought her sight unseen.  We said “We’re trusting you!”  She was six years old and hadn’t done anything.  When you start a horse from so young, and with mares especially, you form that special bond.  In two years we went from green Novice to stellar Intermediate; she shows so much potential.  I’ve never been lucky enogh to sit on horse that talented. I jump with a jump strap jumps because she jumps me out of tack. It turned out pretty ok.

Q.  What’s her personality like?

A.  She is a total tomboy.  It’s kind of embarrassing:  she’s been called a mule before.  She has huge ears that go straight to the side and a droopy lower lip.  If  you saw her in a pasture you’d be like that’s a mule.   She’s happy-go-lucky.  When I bring her in at night she follows me in without a halter. After cross-country in the ten-minute box she was eating grass.  You can’t get her mad at anything.  She actually had baby when she was three and that’s the only horse she really dislikes-her own kid!

Q. What was the most memorable thing about NAYRC for you this year?

A.  I think when we first got there we did the rider’s meeting and that’s when it all sunk in. They were talking about how just to get to this point we were are all champions. You worked so hard to get there and that made it all real for me.  I think also after I found out [that we won] and  everyone was shaking my hand and congratulating me and I was holding my horse and feeling on top of the world like we could conquer anything.  I had my teammates and mom and dad right there-it was pretty special.  Also just being on the property and walking Chloe around. I took her on this long trail ride and the place is spectacular.  We could have walked for hours and not seen the whole place.  The people were so nice pulling up to stop signs so you could cross road.  It was all around a great experience.

Photo courtesy of Kelly Pugh. Note the excellent jog outfit perfectly accesorized with the yellow hair band!

Q. What was your team like?

We had my other two star team members and two for the one star.  Natalia’s horsemanship was unbeleiveable. She was like a horse dictionary.  She probably studies Pony Club manuals at night which is good for me!  She definitely someone you want around.  The girl who won the one star, Kelly Loria, is the person who kept everything level. When it was stressful she would calm you down and help you out. Especially on cross-country day when everything is a little tense.  The other girl, Madison, on the one-star team, if you ever started doubting yourself she was the first one to remind everyone how amazing they were. Everyone was equally hardworking.  Our vet, Laura Werner, was unbelievable and came out at 4 am and would be there all day.  We had two grooms.  Scott Coleman was with the mentorship program with David O’Connor and still found time to come help. Amanda Sanchez worked her butt off and had an amazing attitude about it. Everyone was there for there horses. At the end of day it was about the horses and it’s always nice to see that.

Q.  Young Riders from California just keep winning.  Why do you think you all are so strong? What are you drinking?

A.  Especially after two Californians, Jennie [Brannigan] and Max [McManamy], have won gold the pressure was really on! How do we keep doing this? I think especially coming from California and going back East we have something to prove. Don’t forget about us! East coast gets a lot of attention and we kind of want to show we’re in it to win it too. Max and Tiana [Coudray] and Jennie are all amazing competitors and to follow in their footsteps is pretty cool. It’s a great training program too.

Q.  What makes a great training program?

A.  I know for my training program I took the time to acknowledge my weaknesses.  I’m like, “Let’s just exemplify the pros!”  It’s hard but important, especially befofe big events. Dressage was my weakness. We dug deep and decided if we’re going to go and be competitive we gotta fix that.   It’s part of a good training program to acknowledge that.  Also to acknowledge that the heat and conditioning are different. You want to go back there feeling confident. Don’t wonder, “Can I do this or can I not?”  It’s important to know your training program has gotten you to the point where you’re trotting down the center line thinking, “Yeah, I’m going to win this.”

Q. Did you get to meet the riders on the other teams?

A.  I became good friend with Area III girls.  They won team gold and we met at press conferences and were on the podium with them.  Now we’re all Facebook friends and it was pretty cool.  I went into it telling myself  I won’t like any of these people but I met them and they’re all so nice!  It was good getting to meet them and form friendships. Everyone was going through same thing and everyone understands. Everyone was wishing everyone good luck. It made me realize why this sport is so special.  It’s such a close-knit family feeling with eventing.

Q. It might be fair to say that most 20 year olds aren’t on podium stands winning medals. Where do you find the focus and the motivation?

A. When I first got Chloe I was just going into college at  San Francisco State. At the time Chloe was still green.  In my second year of college she showed a lot of potential and  I had to decide on my focus.  I wasn’t getting results from either.  I had to decide to give up school and focus on horses or sell Chloe and focus on school. At the time it was a hard decision.  You meet new people and school’s so fun.  Now that I’ve given up school and focused on Chloe I haven’t looked back.  It’s hard to sacrifice the social life aspect but being on that podium stand and riding at any horse show, come Sunday it’s like, that’s right, that’s why I made those changes! I know there are a lot of kids struggling with that and it is hard. Another friend was in same position and she chose to study abroad. It’s whatever your calling is; and for me it’s the horses.

Q.  Are there more Copycat Chloe’s out there?

I want to keep her forever and populate the world with Copycat babies!  With horses you always have to say:  ”That’s the plan!” Hopefully in the future that’s something we’re interested in dong.  She has great bloodlines.  Her sire is Stiletto. He’s thrown some good babies. Her kid, Coycat Cadee, will be something special too.

Stiletto.  photo by Reg Corkum via Valhalla Farm

Q. What would you tell other Young Riders who want to be successful the way you have been?

A. Stay focused. There were times when I first got Chloe I thought I’d never do dressage. Stay focused and work hard.  People will tell you that you can’t do it. Know your horse, believe in your horse, believe in your training program. If you want it know you can get it.

photo courtesy of Kelly Pugh

Q. Anything you want to add?

I’d like to add to thank everyone who supported me. APF is an amazing sponsor to have as a product while traveling across the country.  Thank you to the people at barn and my teammates that have believed in us. Thank you to all of them and to my parents.

And thanks to Kelly for taking the time to talk with all of us at Three Days Three Ways. I love how she made winning NAYRC seem so simple and second nature.  Even more I loved how she talked about Chloe; it reminds me so much of hos I feel about my Ellie and imagine it might remind you how you feel about your horse.  She and Chloe both are inspirations!